With this cold British weather quickly creeping upon us, the heating bill is of course sure to shoot up.
However, you don’t need to adjust your heating every day for your home to feel warmer and cosier. There are plenty of things you can do that doesn’t involve spending a fortune on your energy bill, or you can trick your mind into thinking your home is warmer than it is.
Here are 5 things that you could do that will help you feel a little warmer through winter:
Maximise Insulation
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There are plenty of draughts in most of our homes, even if you can’t feel them. Common draught sources include fireplaces, windows and doors.
Although if in use you would not want to be blocking your fireplace, you can use methods such as sticky foam tape or weather-stripping, both of which will help insulate windows as well as doors.
Heat rises, so you really want to hold on to the heat that your radiators are giving off as it won’t take long for the heat to escape your home. There are better options, such as overfloor heating which will heat up at a lower temperature, and will last longer; an easy renovation to any home.
Interior Décor
You can always trick your mind into thinking that your home is warmer than it is by buying specific furniture. For example, adding lots of fluffy rugs to place on laminate flooring and lots of textured pillows to add to dull looking sofa’s, as this will make your home seem so much warmer.
Warm colours certainly help too – an obvious choice is black, although don’t go overboard with this colour, as you need to be weary that it may make your home appear a lot darker in the summer. Shades of red work well too, while cream and silver can make a room a little colder.
Heavy Drapery
Heavy curtains not only look lovely, but they are another technique to help block out a draught from the outdoors. Purchase dark colours to keep the heat in and choose a thick velvet material to keep the cold out. However, when it is still light and sunny, remember to open the curtains and let in as much sun as possible!
Consider Softer Lighting
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Candles dotted around here and there in fireproof containers can improve the ambience of a room and can also make a dark room appear much warmer, whilst not physically doing so.
However, candles can be dangerous. Always keep candles in a fire safe container and never place them close to curtains or where they can be easily knocked over, as this is most definitely a fire hazard.
Furthermore, you could swap your harsh overhead lighting with table lamps and side lights, using warm-toned LED lights to give a candle-lit glow.
Add Memories
A great idea is to add photos around the home of treasured times with family and friends. Although you won’t physically feel warmer, your home will look a lot welcoming and cosier, and your heart will warm up at the thought of great memories.